So, let's talk about #Sverigebilden (Sweden's international image)

[Thread] In 2016, when I was 22, I moved from Portugal to Sweden. I was very tired of Portugal & its problems with corruption and a system with lots of problems. I moved to Stockholm even though I had never even been in Sweden before & I didn't know anyone there. All I had was hope.

Today was the day I left Sweden. It has been a day full of emotions, both positive ones and negative ones. It is, for me, the end of an era.

(Thread) nrk.no/urix/koronakti… When I came to Sweden 4 and a half years ago, the only things I knew about that country were the stereotypes. I now understand that I was fooled by Sverigebilden (the image of Sweden). I went there with all the hopes & dreams of a 22 year old wanting to build a good life...

So, let's talk about online harassment & the debate climate in Sweden during the pandemic

(Thread) First of all I'd like to point out that no matter what you think about Sweden's management of Covid, you must have noticed that in the beginning of the pandemic it was a taboo to be critical of Sweden's strategy. Please recognize that, because it is a fact.

So I just heard Emma Frans saying on radio she doesn't know if MEWAS is responsible for any harassments, but she thinks such groups are dangerous b/c ppl can get radicalized. I wonder if she ever heard of "Tegnell fan club" on FB, where criticism is forbidden, w/ 33.000 members What do I mean by "criticism is forbidden"? ⬇️

"Negative comments about Anders Tegnell & FHM will be deleted!"

Correction: what FHM retweeted was this tweet by the mentioned go-to expert, saying "I think this explains why I & (someone else) at the end needed to limit the possibility to comment our tweets" and then proceeds to thank Sweden's radio for investigating the FB group MEWAS

https://twitter.com/AndreiaSaveSwe/status/1359602150146465792

The fact the the Swedish Public Health Authority retweet such a claim, insinuating that it's the people in MEWAS that coordinate online attacks, forcing her to limit the comments to her tweets, is unacceptable. There is no proof that we did such a thing.

About the now famous secret FB group that is critical of Sweden's Covid strategy: I am a member of MEWAS. In Sweden I am what many call "a threat to democracy" & "a traitor".

(Thread) I have been a member of MEWAS since as long as I can remember. Just like me & many others, MEWAS has been critical of Sweden's Covid strategy since the very beginning of the pandemic, when we saw people flooding in from countries with widespread Covid, completely unchecked.

No matter how much gaslighting, how many threats, how much bullying- I'll never stop speaking up about what I saw in Sweden during the pandemic. For me, it'll always be unacceptable that Sweden had an anti-masker, pro herd immunity as state epidemiologist. I'll never get over it. Ppl are being harassed in different ways every single day in Sweden, because they're against the Covid strategy. The simple act of wearing a mask is like a protest, for f*ck's sake! I lost count how many times ppl have laughed, screamed, pointed & coughed at me for wearing a mask

So, what the hell is going on in Sweden?

(Thread) As most ppl know, in Sweden we have a very controversial state epidemiologist. Tegnell took controversial decisions, which we always knew was due to a belief in herd immunity by infection. He denies it, but emails say otherwise ⬇️ "I believe more in herd immunity"(than lockdowns)

It sure sounds good when @SwedishPM says "people's freedom is a strong right in the Swedish Constitution". Many abroad praise Sweden for respecting freedoms during the pandemic. But let's be clear, a price was paid, & it was paid by the unpriviledged. I was one of them.

(Thread) Seen from abroad & without much knowledge of what really happened here, I understand it's easy to get the wrong perception of how respectful Sweden is of people's rights & freedoms. But please don't be fooled.

Here's my story ⬇️ I worked in a preschool in 🇸🇪, masks were a taboo that no one dared to talk about. When I quit & said I didn't wanna put my health at risk anymore w/o 😷 my boss said "I understand, if you're scared of diseases this is no place for you"

https://twitter.com/AndreiaSaveSwe/status/1317119882597699589?s=19

Thread about the preschool teacher at risk of losing her job for refusing to work without a mask ⬇️

I have now found her on FB & wrote to her offering help connecting to contacts we have in international media, but got a very sad reply from her ➡️

https://twitter.com/AndreiaSaveSwe/status/1353438942201319429

She says that she has been contacting the media for a while about her situation, being at home because the employer claims she "refuses to work", when in fact all she wants is to wear a mask at work. The media has shown no interest about her story until now

A preschool teacher refuses to work without mask.

She went to work one day with a mask on, the employer told her to take it off, she refused, so she got sent home without pay & with a claim of "refusing to work".

(Thread)

https://twitter.com/janlotvall/status/1353427466258411520

This woman made the news because she stood up to her employer. But make no mistake, there's many ppl all over Sweden who are going through a similar situation, going to workplaces everyday where they're expected to work unprotected, but they don't dare to stand up against it.

"Masks are forbidden in elementary school & high schools & for everyone who is in the school buildings - but specially teachers."

(Thread)

expressen.se/kvallsposten/k… "- It is to be regarded as a statutory charter, such as not smoking during working hours & we do not use masks"

New all-time low in Sweden: comparing masks to smoking. There are no limits to this madness. Meanwhile people get infected everyday, some die, some develop #LongCovid.